Faculty and Staff Winter Institute Session Information
Wednesday, January 14th, 2026
Session Speaker:
Dr. Claudia Garcia-Des Lauriers | Director of Kellogg Honors College
Session Abstract:
In this presentation, I will provide a basic definition of honors education and discuss how honors practices can be sources of pedagogical innovation, engaged learning, community engagement, and undergraduate research. At the KHC, we center community and inclusive academic excellence to support strong student outcomes. Collaborations and partnerships allow us to leverage campus resources and provide students the opportunity to reach their highest potential. The goal is to provide a starting point for discussions that will lead to partnerships and the development or support of practices that can benefit all students across campus.
Session Moderators:
Dr. E’lisha Fogle, Assistant Professor | Collins College of Hospitality Management
Dr. Helen Trejo
Session Abstract:
Honors education across the CSU is practiced in a diversity of ways. This panel brings together honors directors from CSU, Long Beach and CSU, Stanislaus, along with a past President of the National Collegiate Honors Council to discuss honors best practices that can support student success in any program. Partnerships and collaboration are highlighted as a way to also scale these practices for access and impact across academic spaces.
Session Moderator:
Dr. Y. Olive Li
Session Abstract:
This interactive session invites participants to apply one of the Honors College’s five signature practices to their own course, program, or service area. Building on the Day One Keynote, attendees will work in small groups to select an Honors practice, sketch how it could be adapted within their unit, and identify simple first steps toward implementation. Through guided prompts and a collaborative gallery walk, participants will explore how portable, scalable practices—such as interdisciplinary learning, inclusive belonging, mentoring, or signature work—can enhance student success across the university. This energizing activity sets the foundation for deeper partnership-building during Day 2 of the Winter Institute.
Session Speaker:
Dr. Fatheema Subhan | Assistant Professor, Nutrition and Food Sciences | Huntley College of Agriculture
Session Abstract:
This session highlights a scalable model of community-engaged learning that integrates service-learning, micro-internships, and digital badges to support inclusive academic excellence across disciplines. Drawing from NTR 2180S – Ethnic Studies of Food, Nutrition, and Health Disparities, the presentation illustrates how partnerships with the CPP Care Center, Poly Pantry, and CenterPointe Dining enhance student learning while addressing real campus needs.
Through needs assessments, data analysis, and a peer-focused Health Service Awareness Campaign, students examine barriers to wellness and basic needs facing diverse student populations. These activities strengthen critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and civic engagement skills while contributing actionable insights to campus units.
Participants will gain strategies for designing community-engaged assignments, integrating data-driven inquiry, and aligning digital badges with equity-centered competencies. The session offers adaptable tools and partnership approaches that faculty and staff can implement to expand community engagement and enrich student learning within their own programs.
Session Speakers:
Dr. Dennis P. Quinn, Chair | Professor, Interdisciplinary General Education Department | College of Education and Integrative Studies
Erik J. Jackiw, Professor | College of Engineering
Phillip R. Rosenkrantz | Emeritus Professor | College of Engineering
Session Abstract:
This presentation reflects on more than two decades of teaching in the Cal Poly Pomona Honors College and considers how Honors pedagogy can enrich learning in non-Honors courses as well. Drawing on small cohort models, collaborative practices, and close faculty/student interaction, we explore how trust, reflection, and structured support foster deeper engagement and inclusive excellence. Dennis P. Quinn from the Interdisciplinary GE Program will share community-focused activities such as cemetery restoration and cultural landscape projects that cultivate belonging, responsibility, and intellectual curiosity. He highlights strategies from recent courses that can be adapted across disciplines to support meaningful participation, recognize individual strengths, and design inclusive learning environments. Erik Jackiw, from the Department of Philosophy, and Phil Rosenkrantz, Emeritus from the College of Engineering, discuss their approach to co-teaching “Engineering Ethics,” where students examine their decision-making processes, reflect on where they are likely to succeed or struggle, and revise their strategies accordingly. Erik draws on the idea that “sooner or later, life makes philosophers of us all” to help engineering students appreciate the practical significance of ethics early in their professional journey. Phil’s work is guided by Joseph Lagowski’s insight: “We are attempting to educate students today so that they will be ready to solve problems that have not yet been identified, using technology that has not yet been invented, based on scientific knowledge that has not yet been discovered.” This perspective frames their commitment to preparing Honors students for the intellectual and ethical challenges ahead.
Thursday, January 15th, 2026
Session Panel:
Pachet M. Bryant
Natalie Gasca
Eddie Vega
Session Moderators:
Won Choi | Associate | Office of Undergraduate Research
Christian J. Murillo | Program Coordinator | Kellogg Honors College
Session Abstract:
This session features a dynamic, multimedia panel highlighting both Kellogg Honors College alumni and current students. Pre-recorded interviews with alumni showcase diverse post-graduation paths in academia, industry, and business, illustrating the long-term impact of inclusive mentorship, engaged learning, and a strong sense of belonging. Complementing these perspectives, an in-person panel of current KHC students will share their lived experiences, involvement, and insights into how KHC’s community-driven model and faculty partnerships shape their journey today.
Together, alumni and current students will reflect on how honors experiences foster resilience, purpose, leadership, and readiness for life after Cal Poly Pomona. Attendees will gain insights into practices that help students thrive, including mentorship strategies, high-impact opportunities, and community-building approaches that other programs can adopt.
Grounded in real stories across the student lifecycle, this session invites participants to consider how cultivating connection, collaboration, and shared purpose can enhance belonging and student success across the university.
Session Speaker:
Dr. Graeme Harper | Dean, Donna & Walt Young Honors College | Oakland University in Michigan
Session Abstract:
It was clear some time ago that honors education has to account for the ideal of honors. We know accountability means to be responsible, to understand the consequences, to be critically and contextually aware enough to follow through - and to take ownership of what does or does not occur. Empathy is by definition collaborative. Even a model of empathy where your mind reaches toward another's experience, is intersubjective, created through the space and time of the encounter (in our case, that space and time of honors education).The moments of connection, the coming together of people, amounts to a sum that is made strong by its parts. Since 2015, the National Society for Minorities in Honors (NSFMIH) has seen yearly conferences hosted at institutions across the United States, from Arkansas to California, from Virginia to Michigan, from Ohio to Kentucky, and more. The spirit of this collaboration has produced several books about honors education, and numerous video-linked seminars, drawing participants from around the nation and, indeed, around the world. It is the empathetic spirit in this that reflects our shared sense of an honors ideal, a sense that rises up to meet challenges, today and into the future.
Session Speakers:
Won Choi | Associate | Office of Undergraduate Research
Christian J. Murillo | Program Coordinator | Kellogg Honors College
Session Abstract:
Building on insights from the combined alumni and current student panel, this workshop shifts the focus to the advising practices that support students throughout their journey, from their early experiences in KHC to their eventual success as alumni. Grounded in the Kellogg Honors College model, this session explores how inclusive mentorship, engaged learning, and meaningful connection can shape high-achieving students’ trajectories at Cal Poly Pomona and beyond.
Designed for advisors and all student-facing staff, this session will highlight best practices for supporting motivated students through intentional collaboration, post-CPP–minded advising, and proactive career readiness conversations. Participants will examine case studies of KHC students to better understand the experiences, strengths, and involvement patterns they bring with them.
The workshop will also demystify KHC requirements, including honors coursework, civic engagement, and the Engaged Learning Experience requirement, while contextualizing the diverse student populations served by KHC (gender, ethnicity, first-generation status, and academic colleges). Attendees will leave with actionable strategies and a deeper understanding of how shared purpose and cross-department partnerships can expand belonging, boost resilience, and enhance student success across the university.
Session Moderator:
Dr. Yao (Olive) Li
Session Facilitators:
Dr. Claudia Garica Des-Lauriers | Director, Kellogg Honors College - Advancement & Fundraising
Christian Murillo | Program Coordinator | Kellogg Honors College - Advising
OREP Team - Recruitment
Dr. Nina Abramzon | Chair and Professor | Physics and Astronomy | College of Science - Undergraduate Research
Won Choi | Associate | Office of Undergraduate Research - Undergraduate Research
Dr. E’lisha Fogle | Assistant Professor | Collins College of Hospitality - Data & Assessment
Dr. Helen Trejo | Associate Professor | Apparel and Merchandising Management | Huntley College of Agriculture - Data & Assessment
Session Abstract:
This collaborative working session invites faculty and staff to explore actionable partnerships between their units and the Honors College. Participants will engage in focused roundtable discussions facilitated by campus experts in five key areas: Advancement & Fundraising, Advising, Recruitment, Undergraduate Research, and Data & Assessment. Each table will guide participants in identifying shared needs, generating partnership ideas, and outlining possible pilots or collaborative initiatives. The session concludes with a cross-unit report-out and concrete next steps aimed at strengthening student success and expanding high-impact opportunities through strategic collaborations with the Honors College.